Fundraiser Even Scrooge Couldn't Resist - A Noise Within Holiday Tea December 16, 2012

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre company, celebrates the season in jolly style with a joyful fundraiser even Scrooge couldn’t resist – “Fezziwig’s Festive Holiday Tea” capped by a matinee performance of Charles Dickens’ beloved seasonal classic, A Christmas Carol – on Sunday, December 16, 2013, at 12 noon, at its new state-of-the-art Pasadena theatre. The inaugural event, named for a generous character in the classic tale, includes a lavish traditional British tea with freshly baked scones and a tempting array of delicious finger sandwiches and sweets by Peggy Dark and The Kitchen for Exploring Foods, costumed carolers and other holiday music, hosted valet parking and the performance itself. Wells Fargo is sponsoring “Fezziwig’s Festive Holiday Tea” and the production of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Pasadena Magazine is the media sponsor for the tea. Proceeds benefit ANW’s Classics Live! education outreach programs, which serve more than 10,000 students a year, from more than 130 schools, spanning 5 counties.

“We wanted to create a special fundraising event surrounding A Christmas Carol that people of all ages can enjoy,” says ANW Producing Artistic Director Geoff Elliott. Adds fellow ANW Producing Artistic Director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, “We envision families, friends and loved ones making the annual tea a new holiday tradition.” Elliott and Rodriguez-Elliott co-direct A Christmas Carol, Dickens’ timeless masterpiece – the ultimate tale of forgiveness – about the redemptive and transformative power of love.

ANW’s Classics Live! program is designed to increase access to live classical theatre and to enhance the classroom learning experience for both teachers and students. The Classics Live! experience includes special student matinees, tickets at a reduced cost, post-show discussions with the artists, California standards-compliant digital study guides with helpful background information on the plays and activities for the classroom, and in-class workshops that feature hands-on exercises and interactive analysis that allow students to actively engage with the language to gain a deeper understanding of the work. The company's educational programming serves a diverse population of students from publicand private schools,, from middle school through college. More than 30% of ANW’s budget is dedicated to educational programs.

Led by Producing Artistic Directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, A Noise Within is the only year-round classical repertory company in Southern California and one of only a handful in the entire country dedicated solely to producing classical dramatic literature in the repertory tradition of rotating productions with a resident company of professional artists. It has been lauded by critics as a “premiere classical theatre company,” and an "outstanding ensemble" whose "vibrantly theatrical" "brilliant productions" are "freshly imagined," "exceptional," "invigorating," "riveting," "brilliantly atmospheric," “inspired,” and “masterfully crafted.” Founded 21 years ago, ANW quickly established itself as one of the region’s key theatre companies, attracting fiercely loyal audiences and consistently high praise from the media for its productions and as a key force in arts education. The company has presented more than 140 plays from the classics of world literature, each season producing works from authors ranging from Shakespeare and Molière to Ibsen, O’Neill and Shaw to Miller and Williams. A Noise Within completed its milestone 2011-12 Season and 20th Anniversary in its permanent new home, a 33,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art venue in Pasadena, in May 2012.

Media sponsors for ANW’s 2012-13 Season are Pasadena Star-News and KPCC 89.3 FM.

A NOISE WITHIN is located on the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Sierra Madre Villa Avenue at 3352 East Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107. Tickets to “Fezziwig’s Festive Holiday Tea” are $300 per person, which also includes admission to the performance and a portion of which is tax deductible. For tickets and information, please contact A Noise Within box office in-person, via phone at 626-356-3100, or online at www.anoisewithin.org.

Official Website: http://www.anoisewithin.org